Warhead containing a hollow charge and a fragmentation section



Oct. 28, 1969 F. R. THOMANEK WARHBAD CONTAINING A HOLLQW CHARGE AND A FRAGMENTATION SECTION Filed June 20. 19s? 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Fran 2 R. Th 0 ynek Oct. 28, 1969 ra. THOMANEK 3,474,731

WARKBAD CONTAINING A HOLLOW CHARGE AND A FRAGMENTATION SECTION Filed June 20. 1967 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR onz R.Thomunek .AT IORNEli United States atent Int. c1. F42b /26 U.S. Cl. 102-52 18 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A combination armor piercing and fragmentationwarhead for a guided missile, preferably of the roll stabilized type. Within the projectile housing of the warhead a fragmentation casing is disposed about the explosive charge. The fragmentation casing is arranged to separate into a multiplicity of elements upon detonation of the explosive charge for use against soft targets. In roll stabilized missiles, the fragmentation casing comprises a fragmentation part disposed along each side of the explosive charge and a damming part located on the top and on the bottom of the charge. The fragmentation casing may be purposefully configured to direct the fragmentation elements in a number of specific directions upon explosion of the charge.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to a combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead and, more particularly, to a warhead combining an explosive charge effect for use against armored targets and a fragmentation effect for use against so-called soft targets. Further, the invention is primarily concerned with roll stabilized guided missiles wherein the position of the fragmentation elements can be selectively oriented for use against soft targets.

In the past, it has been known to use guided missiles having a hollow charge warhead against armored targets. Such weapon systems are expensive and their utilization is generally based on the proportional value of the target. In addition to their use against armored targets, such missiles have been employed against bunkers, artillery positions, machine gun nests and the like. However, in many instances, there is a need not only to combat armored targets but also soft targets, that is, operating crews or personnel located in the area of the armored target. Warheads have been developed for use against both armored targets and personnel, made of a thickwalled steel housing alone or in combination with a fragmentation casing.

This combination of the hollow charge effect and the fragmentation effect has provided means for combating both types of targets. In such arrangements, however, it has been found that providing the additional fragmentation means has considerably increased the weight of the missile and has hampered the missiles efiiciency in flight.

In spin stabilized guided missiles, because of their spinning motion, the fragmentation casing must extend completely around the charge to insure adequate distribution of the fragment elements at the target. However, only about 40% of the fragmentation casing can be effective at the target site. In such missiles, the remainder of the fragmentation casing acts only as ballast in flight and is not eflective against the target at the point of impact.

In addition to combining the fragmentation effect with the hollow charge effect, it has also been known to utilize guided missiles which have only a fragmentation warhead.

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However, if both types of warheads are supplied a logistics problem develops in maintaining an adequate stock pile of both types of warheads. For each missile, there must be a corresponding number of warheads of each type depending on the particular type of targets expected to be encountered.

The present invention is directed to overcoming this problem by providing a missile Warhead which can be used against both armored and unarmored or soft targets with suflicient effectiveness and also without any impairment of the flight or control properties of the missile. The problem of supplying missiles having this combined effect without impairing its flight properties can be achieved by utilizing a hollow charge of a smaller diameter within the warhead housing. A fragmentation casing is arranged about the charge with the combined weight of both being determined so that the weight, the shape and the position of the center of gravity of the warhead for the combined effect is the same as a similar hollow charge warhead which does not incorporate the fragmentation effect.

Though the size of the hollow charge is reduced, the reduction in its armored piercing effect is not effectively reduced to the same extent because, as is well known, the charge is generally designed for much greater piercing effect than is normally needed. Not only are the missiles required for use against heavy armored positions Where the entire live load or explosive charge is effectively utilized, but also they are used against lightly armored targets in which a considerably reduced charge would be completely effective.

In use against relatively lightly armored targets, there are available hollow charge warheads which have a reduced penetration power and, accordingly, a reduced available live load weight. The savings in the live load can then be put into a fragmentation casing which will bring the total live load up to the weight of a warhead for a regular amored target but will not otherwise effect the flight characteristics or increase the weight of the warhead. It is important in the use of fragmentation effect in missiles to assure that the fragments are distributed over as great an area as is possible. To achieve this particular purpose, the fragmentation casing can be arranged so that the fragments will be hurled in a plurality of directions rather than just radially outward from the missile. An increased range of fragment elements can be obtained by varying the surface configuration of the casing from a plane to a curved surface in the longitudinal direction of the missile, for example, by adding an annular protuberance or bulge about the hollow charge. If the fragmentation casing is merely a continuation of the cylindrical surface of the explosive charge, the tendency is for the elements to be directed radially outward from the charge. However, if a protuberance i provided on the periphery of the explosive charge having a convex configuration or some similar shape, it is possible then to direct the fragments not only radially outward but at various angular dispositions forwardly and rearwardly from the explosive charge. Further, depending on the configuration of the fragmentation casing, it may be possible to vary the proportions of the elements which are oriented in different directions from the charge.

For example, if the protuberance on the surface of the explosive charge is rectangular in the longitudinal section of the charge, the fragmentation effect will be mainly downward or outward rather than rearwardly and forwardly. However, if the bulge forms a semi-circular cross section or a segment of a circle, the fragments will tend to be distributed uniformly radiating outwardly from the curved surfaces.

The present invention is particularly directed toward use with non-spinning missiles, since in such missiles the fragment sheaf or distribution pattern of the fragment elements can be fixed from the start. In such a missile, the fragment elements would be required only on the sides of the missile from where they are distributed in an effective pattern generally outwardly and downwardly. Fragments directed downwardly or upwardly from the charge are somewhat ineffective. If a protuberance i disposed about the explosive charge, the fragment elements will also tend to have a rearward and forward path of travel. To counteract and balance the portions of the casting which do not contain the fragment elements, damming layers are provided which assure that the explosive charge is directed against the fragment elements.

Where damming layers are used about the explosive charge, such layers can incorporate various chemical ingredients, such as incendiary materials, to afford effective use of the damming portion of the casing.

For the optimum effect in fragmenting the casing, the various fragment elements may be shaped as balls, disks or the like and joined together to form the casing. Upon explosion, the joints will fracture and the fragment elements will be hurled outwardly in the selected pattern. It is also possible that the fragment elements may be of the same or different size and their configuration may be spherical, disk-like or various other shapes.

Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a combined hollow charge warhead for use against armored and soft targets which incorporates both an armored piercing effect and a fragmentation effect.

Further, it is an object of the invention that the combined hollow charge and fragmentation arrangement be such that it is equivalent in weight, shape and the position of the center of gravity as a similar warhead which is used only for its armor piercing effect.

Another object of the invention is to provide a selectively shaped section on the surface of the explosive charge so that the distribution pattern of the fragmentation elements can be selectively determined.

A further object of the invention is to combine damming means with the fragmentation means which will assure that the explosive charge is directed against the fragmentation elements. Additionally, the damming means may incorporate chemical materials to supply an incendiary effect, to generate smoke, or to furnish other similar resu ts.

Still, another object of the invention is to combine the fragmentation and hollow charge effects in an arrangement particularly designed for non-spinning missiles wherein the location of the fragments may be properly oriented from the start of the missiles flight.

Moreover, another object of the invention is to provide an efficient and effective manner of combining the hollow charge and fragmentation effects to obtain the maximum utilization of both while maintaining the flight control characteristics available when only the hollow charge effect is being used within a warhead.

Therefore, the present invention concerns a hollow charge warhead for a guided missile, intended to be used against both armored and soft targets, in which a hollow charge is disposed within a projectile housing and a fragmentation casing is arranged about the charge. By selectively proportioning the hollow charge and the fragmentation casing, the combination of the two contributes a weight, shape and position of the center of gravity in the warhead similar to a warhead containing a hollow charge without any fragmentation effect.

The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its use, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated and described preferred embodiments of the invention.

4 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a longitudinal section through a warhead embodying the present invention, the section is in a position rotated in relation to its normal flight position:

FIG. 2 is a transverse section through the warhead taken along the line A-B in FIG. 1 with the section shown in its normal flight position;

FIG. 3 is a view similar to FIG. 2 showing another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 3a is a partial longitudinal view partly in section, showing another arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 3b is a partial longitudinal view, partly in section, similar to FIG. 3a, showing still another arrangement of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal section through still another embodiment of the present invention generally similar to the arrangement shown in FIG. 1; and

FIGS. 5 to 7 are enlarged detailed views of alternative arrangements for a portion of the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIG. 1, a warhead of the non-spinning type is shown comprising a projectile housing having a cylindrical section 1 and a conical-shaped nose portion 2 with an ignitor 3 positioned at its pointed end. The projectile housing may be made of thin-walled sheet metal or of a plastic material. Centrally disposed within the projectile housing is a hollow explosive charge 5 having a diameter considerably smaller than the interior diameter of the housing. At its forward end, the explosive charge has a covering 6, and at its rearward end, it has a detonator 4. Any of a number of detonators well known in the art may be used, though preferably a safety detonator should be utilized.

Within the projectile housing, the explosive charge 5 is partially surrounded by a casing formed of spherical fragments 7, see FIG. 2. The spherical fragments 7 are disposed on either side of the explosive charge and, as indicated by the arrows 8 and 9, the direction of the fragments is mainly outward and downward. By properly determining the weight, shape and position of the center of gravity and the casing their arrangement in a warhead can be made to correspond to the weight, shape and the position of the center of gravity in a similar hollow charge warhead which does not incorporate any fragmentation effect. Accordingly, there would be no variations in the flight characteristics of the two types of warheads.

As indicated previously, the distribution pattern of the spherical fragments 7 upon explosion is shown 1n FIG. 2 by the arrows 8 and 9. The distribution of the fragments 7 is generally outward and downward. However, the distribution pattern also has a slight upward alignment, note the arrows 8, and as a result the fragments would still be able to reach a soft target though there might be a slight rolling or swinging of the missile about its longitudinal aixs. Directly below the charge 5, there are no fragmentation elements 7, however, it is anticipated that at low heights above the ground, the detonation of the charge will be sufficient to fracture the projectile housing 1, 2 so that it will afford a sufficient fragmentation effect against soft targets.

In the general arrangement shown in FIG. 2, it has been found that the penetration power of the hollow charge may be considerably reduced by the damming material 11 located on the top and bottom of the charge 5. Under certain conditions, compensation could be made by modifying the explosive charge, but such measures involve extensive experimentation and development work. In the present invention, the above-mentioned problem has been overcome by providing additional layers of a low specific gravity damming material 11. As a result, the damming effect is achieved in a simple manner whereby the fragments are effectively propelled by the explosive charge.

As an alternative to the damming arrangement shown in FIG. 2, it is possible to use various hollow members such as the containers shown in FIG. 3. These hollow containers 10 may be filled with incendiary or smoke materials so that they will provide a desired effect upon the detonation of the warhead.

Generally speaking, the containers 10 are much larger than the spherical fragments 7 which make up the fragmentation portion of the casing. Additionally, the containers 10 have a lower penetration force, however, this characteristic may be desirable for-the particular purpose for which the containers are employed within the projectile housing. The containers 10 located on the upper side of the charge 5 are propelled upwardly into the air upon detonation and then fall back to earth. On contact they possess the necessary elements to ignite or otherwise effectuate their purpose.

The containers 10 have a larger volume though a lower specific gravity than the fragments 7 because the material they hold, such as an incendiary composition, is lighter, and, accordingly, they are-dimensioned so that their damming effect is equal to that provided by the fragments 7.

The incendiary substances used in the containers 10 may consist of material which is ignited by the detonation of the hollow charge, an example would be a Thermit-type composition in a magnesium tube housing. Mixtures including phosphorus could be used for a similar purpose. The containers 10 could be of an elongated tubular configuration or of a spherical shape similar to the fragments 7. The invention is not limited in any way by the arrangement of the incendiary materials used, further, other chemicals could be employed within the damming layer to achieve various effects upon the explosion of the warhead.

The spherical fragments 7 and the containers 10 may be embedded in a synthetic resin, also it would be possible to add other plastic materials to the resin to adjust the damming effect about the explosive charge.

In FIG. 4, an alternative warhead arrangement is shown, somewhat similar to that in FIG. 1, comprising a projectile housing having a cylindrical section 1 and a conical nose section 2 with an ignitor 3 mounted at its pointed end. Positioned within the section 1' of the projectile housing is a hollow charge 5 with a detonator 4' located at one end and a cover 6' at its other end closer to the nose section 2'. Intermediate the ends of the charge 5' and extending around its periphery is a protuberance 5'a. In FIG. 4, the protuberance S'a has a rectangular section and disposed about its surface are a plurality of spherical fragments 7'. If a non-spinning roll stabilized missile is used, similar to one shown in FIG. 1, the fragments 7' would be located only on the lateral or side portions of the protuberances 5'a with damming layers disposed between the fragment sections. If the warhead is located on a missile of the type which spins in its flight, the fragments would be arranged about the entire surface of the protuberance 5'11.

Similar to the warhead shown in FIG. 1, the one in FIG. 4 is arranged to provide the same weight, shape and location of the center of gravity as for a similar warhead which does not have any fragmentation effect. It would have the advantage over the arrangement in FIG. 1 in that the fragments along the sides of the protuberance 5a would have a wider distribution pattern being propelled radially outward from and also both forward and rearward of the hollow charge 5.

Alternate arrangements of the protuberance Sa are shown in FIGS. 5 to 7. In FIG. 5, the surface of protuberance Sa has the shape of a portion of a circle and the protuberance itself forms a segment of a circle. The fragments 7' disposed at the the surface of the segment protuberance will be distributed in a plurality of directions as indicated by the arrows. In FIG. 6, the protuberance 5'a" has rounded ends with a fiat planar portion disposed between the ends. In this construction, the spherical fragments will be thrown radially outward from the planar portion of the protuberance and forwardly and rearwardly from the ends or rounded edges of the protuberance. The direction of the fragments in FIG. 6 is represented by a number of arrows.

In FIG. 7, a protuberance Sa' is provided which comprises a separate charge from the hollow charge 5. The separate explosive charge provides a different detonation rate than that which is supplied by the regular charge 5'. The protuberance Sa has a dovetailed shape having an outer fiat longitudinally extending surface and a pair of inwardly converging side surfaces. In this arrangement, the fragments on the outer face will be propelled radially outward while the fragments along the side surfaces will be thrust in a rearward or forward direction and tend to meet at a single point along their paths of flight.

In the various drawings, the fragments 7, 7 are shown as spherical, however, this not intended to limit the shape of fragmentation elements used. It would be equally advantageous to use either regular or irregular shapes where the separate fragments may be of the same or different sizes. The fragments may be disk-shapcd or of dissimilar shaped members, 7a, 7b, as shown in FIGS. 30, and 3b, respectively. The invention is concerned primarily with the optimum efficiency and effectiveness of a warhead attained by combining a hollow charge for purposes of armor piercing and a fragmentation charge for purposes of combating soft targets. This combination avoids the problems encountered in the prior art where additional weight resulted in a definite handicap to the flight of the missile, or where different type warheads were required for a single missile causing a logistics problem in maintaining an adequate stockpile of warheads.

What is claimed is:

1. A combination armor piercing fragmentation warhead for a guided missile for use against both armored and soft targets comprising a longitudinally extending projectile housing, a longitudinally extending explosive charge, a substantially conically shaped cavity forming the leading face of said charge, said charge being disposed within and spaced laterally from the inner surface of said housing, means for detonating said charge located within said housing, and a casing laterally enclosed and in surface contact with said charge and spaced inwardly from the inner surface of said housing, and at least a portion of said casing comprising a fragmentation section formed of a multiplicity of preformed fragmentation particles secured together in a unitary manner whereby upon the detonation of said charge said fragmentation section disunites into a multiplicity of separate fragmentation particles.

2. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said preformed fragmentation particles are spherical in shape.

3. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said preformed fragmentation particles are disk-shaped.

4. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said preformed fragmentation particles comprise a multiplicity of dissimilar shaped members joined together to form said unitary fragmentation section.

5. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said warhead is adapted for use on a roll stabilized non-spinning guided missile, and said casing comprises at least one fragmentation section and at least one damming section disposed laterally about said explosive charge.

6. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 5, wherein said fragmentation section and said damming section each comprises two separate parts disposed in an alternating arrangement about said explosive charge, whereby in flight the parts of said fragmentation section are disposed at the sides of said explosive charge and the parts of said damming section are disposed above and below said explosive charge.

7. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said damming section comprises a multi-layered arrangement of damming material.

8. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 6, wherein said damming section is made up of a plurality of hollow members.

9. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 8, wherein incendiary materials are disposed within said hollo'w members.

10. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 8, wherein a composition for making smoke is disposed within said hollow members.

11. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said explosive charge comprises an annular protuberance having the same composition as said explosive charge and extending about and outwardly from the lateral surface thereof, and said fragmentation section being located about and in contact with the outer surface of said protuberance.

12. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 11, wherein in the longitudinal section of said explosive charge said protuberance is rectangular in shape for selectively directing the fragmentation elements on the detonation of said explosive charge.

13. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 11, wherein in the longitudinal section of said explosive charge said protuberance forms a segment of a circle for selectively distributing the fragmentation elements upon the detonation of said explosive charge.

14. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 11, wherein in the longitudinal section of said explosive charge said protuberance has rounded edges with a planar surface extending between said rounded edges for selectively distributing the fragmentation elements upon the detonation of said explosive charge.

15. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 11, wherein the longitudinal section of said explosive charge said protuberance has a dovetailed shape for selectively distributing the fragmentation elements upon the detonation of said explosive charge.

16. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 11, wherein a separate explosive charge having a different composition and detonation rate from said hollow explosive charge forms the protuberance on the surface of said hollow charge for exploding the fragmentation section and distributing the fragmentation elements in selected directions.

17. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said projectile housing is formed of sheet metal.

18. A combination armor piercing and fragmentation warhead, as set forth in claim 1, wherein said projectile housing is formed of a plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,419,414 4/1947 Mohaupt 10256 2,900,905 8/1959 MacDougall 10224 3,021,784 2/1962 .Meddick 10220 3,101,053 8/1963 Stevenson et al. 10257 3,223,037 12/1965 Nooker et a1. 10267 FOREIGN PATENTS 22,501 12/ 1901 Great Britain.

127,906 6/ 1919 Great Britain.

134,948 11/1919 Great Britain. 1,090,957 10/ 1954 France. 1,098,104 3/1955 France. 1,174,213 7/1964 West Germany.

BENJAMIN A. BORCHELT, Primary Examiner J. FOX, Assistant Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 10267 

